Reclining-chair



- (No Model.)'

0. A. HANPORD.

. REOLINING CHAIR.

No. 367,292. Patented July 26, 1887.

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UN TED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onnru A. HANFORD, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 367,292, dated July 26, 1887. I Application filed December 29, 1886. Serial No. 2229M. No model.)

Be it'known that I, ORRIN A. HAnro D, a'

citizen'of the United States, residing at Bloomington; in the county of MoLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in reclining-chairs; and it consists in eertaiunovel features hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair with the footrest underthe seat. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the locking device. Fig. 3 is a per spective view of a'portion of the chair, showing the foot-rest in position in front of the chair. .Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the same asit appears when fully reclined, the reverse position of the mechanism being'indicated by dotted lines. 1 Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a part of the locking mechanism; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and '10 are detail views of parts of the locking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, 1 designates a ratchet-lock having a movable thimble, 2, provided with a suitable operatinglever. A spiral spring, 3, is placed inside the thimble between two end bearings, 4, made in the form of a hinge, and a pair of oppositelyplaced ratchet-rods, 5, are fitted to slide in and out in said bearings 4 and thimble 2. Motion is imparted to these rods 5 and controlled by the thimble 2,which is provided with two pairs of oppositely-inclined slots, 6, which are in clined transversely to the diameter of said thimble, each pair of slots engaging'a project ing pin, 7, on theinner end ofthe rod. -.If the thimble 2 be rotated upward, the ratchet-rods 5 will be drawn inward toward each other, compressing the spring 3. When the thimble 2 is released, the movementwill be reversed by the weight of the lever and the pressure of the spring 3, and the ratchet-rods 5 will be moved apart to engage with the locking-plates 10.

The ratchetlocklis fixed centrally and horizontally upon the transverse rear bar of the frame 8, the outer ends of the ratchet-rods 5 being angular or fiat .to engage correspondingly-shaped openings in the covering-plates 9 and locking-plates 10, the said holes being arranged in a circular series about the pivot of the chair-back. The coverihg-plates-Q are fixed upon theinside faces of the longitudinal part of the frame 8, forming the seat, their elevated circular part extending to the rear ends of said frame 8, which are'circular inform.

The locking-plates 10 are fixed upon the inside lower ends of the back of the chair, their circular part being placed between the ends of the frame 8 and the circular part of the coveringplates!) and revolving on ,a screw, 11, which also serves to secure the several parts together. The openings in the locking-plates end faces of the ratchet-rods 5 are correspondingly shaped to slip by saidopenin gs when the chair-back is being raised to an upright position. The lockingplates, with their downward-extendinglevers, are connected by a pair of rods, 12, extending forward under the seat, with a pair of hangers, 13, suspended from the inner sides of the frame 8, and with a pair of lifting-rods, 14, which are united at theirfront ends by a cross bar or rod, 15. This cross-rod side of the leg-rest 17, suspended on hinges from the front of the frame 8, and said crossrod is connected with a pair of sliding plates, 18, and sliding blocks 19 moving in the slots 16 and to which the foot-rest 20 is pivoted.

The thimble 2 is provided on its front face with an additional inclined or oblique slot, 21, giving side motionto the rear end of the looking-lever 22, inserted therein. This lever 22 plays on a pivot-screw on the under sideof the chair-seat, at the rear of the same, and projects forward to lock or unlock the leg-rest 17, which, if desired, can be swung up under the seat by hand, thus improving the appearance of the chair when the'back is raised. To this end the foot-rest is swung upward by hand, then pulled up and pushed rearward, carrying the cross-rod 15, lifting-rods l4, sliding plates 18, and sliding blocks 19, and the leg-rest 17 with it. By having the foot-rest pivoted to the sliding plates instead of to'the leg-rest I am enabled to fold the two devices under the chair-seat by a single motion. The foot-rest is grasped by hand and pressure applied thcreto to force the'leg-rest up under the 10 are inclined on their front walls, and the 15 passes through a slot, 16, formed in each chair-seat. As theleg-rest swings around,the foot-rest will be gradually brought to the upper end of the same and folded thereagainst, as will be readily understood. The said legrest has a taper-headed flat spring, 23, fixed upon its swinging end face,which is adapted to engage the lever 22,and thereby lock the leg and foot rest in their upturned position. The spring can be released from the locking-lever by the occupant ofthe chair pulling on a cord, 24, extending up in front ofthc chair-back and over a pulley on the upper edge of the same, and then to the lever on the thimble 2, thereby revolving said thimble and turning the lever 2'3 sidewise. This action releases the spring 23 and allows the leg and foot rest to swing down in front of the chair. A further pull on the cord revolves the thimble until the rods 5 are released from the loeking-plates,and the chair back can then be lowered. If the cord be relaxecl,the rods 5 will instantly re-engagc the locking-plates and hold the chair-back in its adjusted position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a reclining-chair, the combination of the frame, a revoluble thimble supported at the rear of said frame, and provided with an operating-lever and a transverse inclined slot,

I a looking-lever pivoted on the under side of the chair-seat and having one end inserted in the inclined slot of the thimble, a leg and foot rest hinged to the front of the chair-frame and connected with the thimble, and a spring on the leg and foot rest, adapted to engage the locking-lever, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the frame, of the locking-plates secured to the inner face thereof, the covering-plates secured to the inner face of the locking-plates, the revolnble thimble suspended from the frame between the locking-plates, locking-bolts operated by said thi n1 ble, a leg and foot rest hinged to the front of the frame and connecting-bars 12, and liftingbars 14, connecting the leg and foot rest with the locking-plates, substantially as set forth.

ORRIN A. H ANFOR-D.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM B. CARLOCK, HENRY OTTO. 

